Air-compressor.



C. H. ERIGKSON.

AIR COMPRESSOR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16', 1912.

Patented Mar.24,191

2 SHEETS-$11313 1 55 a qwgaw p25; 4 w MW,

COLUMBlA PLANOORAPH COUWASHINO'ION. D. C

G. H. ERIGKSON.

AIR COMPRESSOR.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 18, 19.12.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

/vvbneowo COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN cuqwAshlNfi'roN. n. r:v

CARL H. EBICKSON, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

AIR-COMPRESSOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Mar. 24:, 1914:.

Application filed June 18, 1912. Serial No. 704,342.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CARL H. ERIoKso-N, asubject of the King of Sweden, residing at Denver, in the county ofDenver and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Air-Compressors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved automatically operated hydraulic aircompressor adapted to be actuated by water from any water distributingsystem such as used in towns and cities and for the purpose ofcompressing air and storing the compressed air for use in garages toinflate the tires of antomobiles and also for other purposes, the objectof the invention being to provide an improved air compressor of thisclass which may be readily attached to a water pipe, which is automaticin action and which re quires little or no attention, the inventionconsisting in the construction, combination and arrangement of deviceshereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 is a vertical central sectionalview of an air compressor constructed in accordance with my invention.Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the air inlet valve. Fig. 3 is asimilar view of the check valve in the connection between thecompressing tank and storage tank. Fig. 4: is a detail horizontalsectional view of the same on the plane indicated by the line aa of Fig.3. Fig. 5 is a detail longitudinal sectional view of the water inletvalve. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same on theplane indicated by the line b.-b of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail sectionalview of the valve operating float. Fig. 8 is a detail elevation, showingthe inner ends of the lever and balancing lever and their connections.Fig. 9 is a detail plan of the same.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a compressing tank 1 and acompressed air storage tank 2. The storage tank is arranged above thecompressing tank and is connected thereto by a pipe 3 in which isincluded the casing 4 of a check valve 5. The check valve is pivotallymounted at one side as at 6, is adapted to close downwardly and thecasing 4: has a chamber 7 at its lower end and a duct 8 which'connect'sthe chamber 7 with the chamber 9 in which the check valve 5 is located.A cut off valve 10 is arranged to operate below the duct 8 and to closeupwardly against a seat 11 at the lower end of the duct. The said valveis provided on 1ts upper side with guide pins 12 which operate 1n theduct and on its lower side is a float 13 which is arranged for verticalmovement in the chamber 7. This valve is normally in lower open positionand when in such position rests upon supports 14 which pro ect inwardlyfrom the walls of the said chamber, near the upper end thereof.

An air inlet 15 is connected to the upper end of the compressing tank 1as at 16, the connection 16 forming the casing for a downwardly openingvalve 17. This check valve is pivotally mounted at one side as at 18 andis normally held in closed position against the seat 19 by the action ofa spring the arm or duct 22 and to the said arm or duct 24 is connectedthe upper end of a pipe 25 which extends downwardly in the compressingtank 1 nearly to the bottom thereof. This casing 23 has a cylindrical,centrally disposed chamber 26 in which a balanced valve 27 is verticallymovable. The said chamber 26 is open at its upper and lower sides and isprovided at its upper and lower sides with stop flanges 2829,respectively, which serve to limit the vertical movement of said valve.Said balanced valve is hollow and is cylindrical in form and is providedat opposite sides near its upper end with openings 30. These openingswhen the balanced valve is in lowered position register with the portsformed by the inner ends of the ducts 222& and when the said valve iselevated with its upper end engaging the flange 28, the said openings 30are out of registry with the inner ends of the said ducts and, hence,the valve serves to cut oii communication between said ducts and therebycut ofi the supply of water to the tank 1 from the pipe 21. An arm 31projects downwardly from the center of the bottom of the said valve andhas a fork 32 at its lower end.

vA water outlet pipe 33 is connected to the bottom of the tank 1 as at34c; The connection 34 forms the casing for a balanced valve 35 which issimilar in construction to the valve 27. Said valve 35 has an upwardlyextending arm 36 provided with a a link 39.

fork in which a lever 37 is pivotally mounted as at 38. The outer end ofthe said lever is connected to the bottom of the tank 1 by The inner,longer end or arm oft-he said lever is connected to the lower end of avalve operating rod 40 which is arranged vertically in the center of thetank 1 and has a stop 41 at its lower end and a stop 42 at its upperend. A float 43 of suit able construction is arranged in the tank 1 andis adapted to move vertically on the rod 40, the said rod passingthrough a central opening in the float.

A lever 44 has its outer end connected by a link 45 to the upper end ofthe tank 1. This lever engages the fork 32 of the stem of the valve 27and the inner end of the said lever is connected by a link 46 to abalancing lever 47. The balancing lever is connected at a point asuitable distance from the outer end to the lower end of a link 48, theupper end of the said link being pivotally con nected to the top of thetank 1 and on the outer end or arm of the balancing lever is a balancingweight 49 which is adjustable lon gitudinally on the said lever and maybe fixed at any point by means of a set screw 50. The lever 44 andbalancing lever 47 are provided with o-ifsets 51 near their approachingend and to the said offsets are secured the vertically adjustable hooks52 by means of screws 53 which operate in slots 54 with which the saidhooks are provided, the hooks being connected together by a coiledretractile spring 55.

The upper end of the rod 40 passes through an opening in the link 46 andis secured to said link by a set screw 56. The stops 41-42 arevertically adjustable on the rod 40 and are held in place thereon at anydesired adjustment by means of set screws 57. The spring 55 coacts withthe link 46 to form a flexible connection between the inner ends of thevalve operating lever 44 and balancing lever 47 and the said spring isput under tension when the valve operating levers are moved in eitherdirection. Hence the said valves are positively caused to open andclose, under the action of the operating mechanism. The tank 1 isprovided with hand holes 57 near its upper and lower ends on oppositesides and with closures 58 for the said hand holes, the closures beingheld in place and rendered detachable by means of cross bars 59 andsecuring bolts 60. A service pipe 61 leads from the upper end of thecompressed air storage tank 2, a branch pipe 62 leads from the lower endof the tank 1 and has a faucet or valve 63. A cut off valve 64 isprovided for the water supply pipe 21.

The operation of my improved, automatic hydraulic operated aircompressor is as follows :Should it be assumed that the valve 64 isopen, that water is being supplied to the tank 1 and that the latter isnearly empty, the float 43 will be at the lower limit of its movementbearing on the stop 41 so as to cause the rod 40 through theinstrumentality of the lever 37 to close the water outlet valve 35 andcause said rod, through the instrumentality of the lever 44 to open thewater inlet valve 27 and hold the last mentioned valve open. As thecolumn of water accumulates and rises in the tank 1, it compresses theair in the said tank, which has been supplied thereto through the valvedair inlet pipe 15 and the compressed air is forced by the rise of thecolumn of water from the tank 1 upwardly through the valved connection 3into the compressed air storage tank 2. This action continues until thefloat 43 reaches the upper stop 42 of the rod 40 whereupon the saidfloat coacts with the stop to move said rod upwardly, thereby causingsaid rod to actuate the lever 37 and open the water outlet valve 35 andto also actuate the lever 44 and close the water inlet valve 27. Thesaid valves remain in such position, being held by the action of thelever 44 and the balancing lever 47, and, hence, the supply of water iscut oil. from the tank 1 and the water therein is discharged therefromthrough the water outlet pipe 33. The check valve 5 prevents any backpressure from the tank 2. When the float 43 again reaches a point nearthe bot tom of the tank 1, it strikes a stop 41, thereby drawing the roddownwardly and causing said rod through the action of the levers 37-44to close the water outlet valve 35 and reopen the water inlet valve 27.Hence, the operation of the apparatus is automatic and continuous andthe same requires practically no attention. If, for any reason, theapparatus should fail to operate to cut off the supply of water to thetank 1, at any time, the float 13 will lift the valve 10 to cause saidvalve to close the duct 8 and, hence, prevent water from passing intothe tank 2.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred form of myinvention, I would have it understood that changes may be made in theform, proportion and arrangement of the several parts without de partingfrom the spirit of my invention and within the scope of the appendedclaim.

I claim An air compressing apparatus of the class described comprising acompressing tank having an air inlet and also having a water inlet andan outlet, respectively, located at its upper and lower ends, a. storagetank connected with the compressing tank, a controlling valve for thewater inlet, a controlling valve for the water outlet, an operatinglever for the last-named valve, an operating lever for the water inletcontrolling valve, a balancing lever, a link connecting the balancinglever and a controlling lever of the Water inlet valve, an adjustableweight on the balancing lever and a vertically arranged rod having stopsand having its lower end connected to the controlling valve lever of theWater outlet and its upper end connected to the said link, a floatarranged to operate on said rod, and a tensioning spring arranged inline With and connecting the opposing portions of the operating 10 leverof the Water inlet valve and the said balancing lever.

In testimon whereof I affiX my signature in presence 0 tWo Witnesses.

CARL H. ERICKSON. Witnesses:

OSCAR BERGLUND, JOHN ERIOKSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

